I'm gonna ask you to take your
Bibles and turn with me to the book of Proverbs chapter 20. Did I say 20? Make it 30. Let's just try 30. I'm getting
ready to read out of Exodus 20. Proverbs chapter 30. I'd like
to look at one verse of scripture. Verse 17. The eye that mocketh at his father
despiseth to obey his mother, shall the ravens of the valley
shall pick it out. The ravens of the valley shall
pick it out. And the young eagles shall eat
it. The great blessing of the book
of Proverbs is from the promise of our Lord
when the disciples ask Him, why do you speak in parables? Why do you speak in Proverbs? And our Lord said, because it's
given unto you to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. done to them, it's not given. I know that this glorious book
of Proverbs, as we have looked at this, we're in the next to
the last chapter. These blessed words were given
to a man, Solomon. There's a man named Agur, if
you'll look in the first verse of the 30th chapter, who many
think is a symbolic picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'll leave
that to them, but I know that all of these scriptures were
God-breathed, and whoever penned them, they penned them under
the inspiration of God. So therefore, we take these words
as the Word of God. As I was looking at this particular
verse of scripture, Proverbs 30, 17. It made me think concerning the
words of our Lord, concerning it's given unto you to know the
mystery of the kingdom of God. These are the words of wisdom. This is the word of God's wisdom. And we are not to take it lightly.
I realize that so precious is the revelation of God's word
and wisdom hell-deserving sinners, that we would do well to enter
into the consideration of this glorious truth with respect and
realize that what we're doing tonight, what we've done by God's
grace over these many years, we have listened to what the
Lord has to say. And I know that all of these
scriptures are concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. You search
the scriptures, in them you think you have eternal life. They are
they that testify of me. So whatever we read in this verse
of scripture right here is concerning the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ
in his redemptive glory of his people. Therefore we seek the
guidance and understanding of the Spirit of God to teach us
this evening. But the Spirit of God has been
pleased to set forth a grave warning. And remember, whatever
we read, let us never jump to conclusions that we just naturally
know the meaning of it. We must be given some understanding,
and we're going to look for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ
in these words. Here we have, by the Spirit of
God, a grave warning to those who neglect to render respect toward their parents. That's
what we just read. A warning that comes with a dire
consequence for failure to obey. This is what it says. The eye
that mocketh at his father and despiseth to obey his mother,
the ravens of the valley shall pick it out and the young eagles
shall eat it. The eye, that is to look upon
or to think grudgingly. Of course, it says the eye that
mocketh at his father. to mock or to not adhere to the
advice, the admonition, the instruction of his father. And obviously,
his father here, I'll tell you, is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ,
because he's getting ready to talk about his mother. He says,
the eye that mocketh, that laughs at, thinks little of, shows no
respect for his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, a mother
who is a type of the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, the one
that gives no regard for his father, his mother, their
teaching of obedience, disobedience that was given unto
them, taught them by the Spirit of God, by the Holy Spirit, the
child shall suffer the penalty of that disobedience. That's
what it says. The ravens of the valley shall
pick it out and the young eagles shall eat it. Now what we need
to understand is right from the get-go is to understand is he's
just talking about Any mom or dad, just parents in general? No. It's talking about the glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ and his beloved bride. Loved, called, called out of
darkness, kept, taught, led, directed, guided. by God's spirit,
it's talking about the picture here of the relationship between
the Lord Jesus Christ and his bride. So as we're looking at
these scriptures for a few minutes, let's understand something. We
are to obey our father and mother, to respect them, to grant them
honor, give them honor, honor. I thought about that. Scripture
says in Exodus, Honor thy father and thy mother, as thy days may
be long upon the earth. Honor them. How do we honor our mother and
father? How do we honor? by realizing
that the mother and the father, especially those who are called
out of darkness, give us some light, insight into the glory
of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially to those who have been taught
of God, called out of darkness. Give them the honor because of
the type that they are, a picture of the Lord and his bride. You honor them. by understanding
that they're not just two people, mom and dad, old man, old lady. They are types and pictures of
Christ and you honor them for the teaching that we receive
from mothers and fathers. I'm gonna show you that in just
a minute. What the writer of the Proverbs is saying that the
eye of the rebellious child, that one that mocks at what his father represents. He that despises to obey what
his mother represents, the Lord Jesus and his bride, in their
relationship, the Lord that loved his bride, gave himself for his
church, and the bride That is to love her husband, obey her
husband, submit to her, what they represent, the Lord and
His people. Those that mock that, that fail
to give the respect to, that which the Lord has put down in
His book. Vengeance is the Lord's and He's
going to repay. Now, I want us to understand
something. We are, we know that we're to
honor our mom and dad, honor our mother and father. But I
was going over these notes just, I mean, a couple of hours ago.
And I got to thinking about this. What is the greatest of significance
of honoring them is to realize they're pictures. Moms and dads,
fathers, mothers, they're pictures. They're pictures, they're types.
and to not respect them. That picture here, a mom and
dad, especially those, I said a moment ago, called out of darkness.
They're types, types of Christ and his beloved bride. But that
eye of that rebellious child that should have looked upon
the blessing of being one that had a believing mother and a
believing father, believing parents, that one that is disrespectful,
not only to the parents, but especially disrespectful to the
one that they represent. The Lord made them this way and
put them on this earth as types and pictures of Christ and his
bride and to not honor them for that. The more I read this while
ago, I kept telling Glenda, I said, this is getting deeper and deeper.
The depth of what's being shown here is so unbelievably wonderful. You take a mother and a father,
mom and dad especially, those called out of darkness, they've
been raised up under the sound of the gospel to mock them and
to disobey them. who are people on this earth
that represent Christ and his bride are under the wrath and
vengeance of God. He just said what's going to
happen to them. I'm going to show you that in a Lord willing
inscription just a minute out of the book of Matthew. Those
children that treat God's provision When I say provision, I'm talking
about a mom and a dad, especially those that have taught their
children. Those that make a mockery of
God's means of hearing the glorious gospel. Faith cometh by hearing. We're instructed. Raise your children up in the
admonition of the Lord. Teach them the truth of God.
Teach them. concerning the Lord's glory and
honor and respect that's due unto Him. Teach them, tell them,
the Lord has put us on this earth for His glory, for His honor.
To mock that, to laugh at it, to make a face at it, to disrespect
it. God's gonna deal with that. Those that make a mockery of
a father, who is the type of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I
began to think on that and I thought, what is it to mock them? What is it to make fun of them?
It's to not give them the honor that is due concerning them being
a picture and a type. You're dads. The Lord has made you the head
of the household. We're gonna read this out of Ephesians just
a minute. I don't wanna get ahead of myself, but I'm telling you
where I'm going. The Lord has raised you up to be the head
over the wife, the head of the family. Often told couples that
are gonna be married, I said, now listen, here's the thing.
There's only two rules. Husbands, love your wife as Christ
loved the church and gave himself for it. That's rule number one.
Rule number two, wives, submit yourself unto your own husband.
as unto the Lord. I said, now these two rules,
they represent Christ and his bride, the love of the Lord Jesus
Christ for his bride, the bride's submission and love to her husband
as a pictured type of the church's love for the Lord Jesus were
types to fail to give honor unto that. And as I began to think
on that statement that I just made, I just thought to myself,
Lord, thank you in spite of my silliness and stupidity to fail
to give you the honor that you're due. Lord, forgive me. Thank you for your long-suffering.
Thank you. But I'm telling you, this book of wisdom right here
is more than just a good suggestion to moms and dads. Y'all treat
yourself right now. Y'all be good. Y'all don't fuss. Don't fuss. We're types. We're
pictures. those that despise obedience
to a believing mother. Remember, a believing mother,
she's a type, she's a picture. God made men and women. There's
only two genders, contrary to many believe, but there's two.
and their pictures and their types, and not to give honor
and respect that is due, is actually to mock and despise God. To not render unto a mother,
a dad, the eye that mocketh his father, who is a type of the
Lord Jesus, is to mock God. It's to say unto God, You don't
know what you're doing. You don't realize and despise
to obey his mother, to despise her loving, tender care, to despise
her obedience under her husband. It's to mock and despise the
Lord. They're going to suffer the justice
of him who before whom all men are going to stand. Well, I've
never really heard it just exactly like this. I'll be honest with
you. I hadn't either. I got to looking at this passage
of scripture right here. I've read the scripture before,
honor your mother and your father. I love you mom, love you too
son, love you, love you too, love you. It's honor them, honor
them by realizing who they represent, Christ and his bride. God Almighty has given this world
through the means of His people. He's given into this world a
preaching, a picture, a type. And we're pictures and types. And here's some instruction.
I want you to turn to Ephesians 5.22. Now realize, I'll hold
your place there in Proverbs. Ephesians 5.22. I mean it, I have read, you know,
honor your father and your mother. And it, into my own misunderstanding,
failed to realize what that was saying. You honor your father
and your mother, you honor them and respect them as pictures
and types of Christ. Look at this, Ephesians 5, verse
22 to 33. Wives, Submit yourselves unto your own
husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church. Christ, the
head of the church, and he is the savior of the body. Therefore,
as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to
their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives even
as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that
he might sanctify, cleanse it with the washing of water by
the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church,
not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that he should
be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives
as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth
himself. For no man ever yet hated his
own flesh, but nourisheth it, cherisheth it, even as the Lord,
even as the Lord, the church. For we are members of his body,
of his flesh, of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave
his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife. They
too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery. but
I speak concerning Christ and the church. That was the scripture
right there. When I read that verse right
there, number 32, I thought, here is the reason. Here is a
foundation. This is the reason to honor your
father and your mother. Because the father and the mother
is pictures and types concerning Christ And the church, the honor
that is due them, is because of who they represent. Nevertheless,
let every one of you in particular so love his wife, even as himself. And the wife, see that she reverence
her husband. Now here's some more instruction.
Chapter six, verse one, six. Children, obey your parents in
the Lord. Well, this is right. Honor thy
father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise,
that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long
on the earth. And ye fathers, provoke not your
children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord. So let's be reminded of something. While this world shows most often
more times than not. Little respect, little to no
respect as a general rule, little to no respect for what their
parents represent. While they show little to no
respect, let us remember with thankfulness unto the Lord that
a faithful father A faithful mother, a faithful husband, a
faithful wife is a picture and a type of Christ and His bride. The church, sinners saved by
the grace of God, and to mock or to make fun at what they represent. You can, outwardly speaking,
you can be kind, you know, to your mom and dad and do everything
for them, and unbelievers can do that. But to fail to see and
to be thankful for what they represent, that's to mock them. That's to
mock them. Make fun of them. With all the
outward show of humility for them, to fail to see that which
they are pictures, is to mock them. Disbelief, to despise,
to obey the instruction of a faithful mother is to despise and resent obedience
unto the Lord. Talk about a faithful mother.
What did we say she was a picture of? The bride of Christ. What
are we doing here tonight? We're meeting tonight here as
the bride of Christ. We are the bride of Christ. And who are
we honoring? We're honoring the Lord. We're
honoring him who is worthy of all thankfulness, respect, and
honor that is due to despise, to obey the instruction, to mock,
just to mock God, to fail, to give respect for that which he
has raised up. I fear that in the day of God's
vengeance and wrath, Men shall understand these words very clearly,
and shall then see that they stood in the very presence of
God preaching. Every marriage, husband or wife,
there's a demand for obedience unto the Lord, a demand for respect
unto the Lord. You look at a family, look at
a man and his wife, there's a message right there being preached, to
fail to respect them. May all, according to God's sovereign
mercy, elect in grace. May the Lord be pleased to show
kindness, call us out of darkness according to his good pleasure.
Oh, may we ever be mindful of the marriage, the union, glorious
illustration, picture of the bride being betrothed unto the
Lord eternally, everlasting covenant of grace, the reason being ordered
in all things established in Christ and sure. Knowing that
first part, first part of 17, the eye that mocketh at his father,
and despises to obey his mother. Like I said, much deeper than
just, you know, yes ma'am, I'll take the trash out, yes ma'am. It's much deeper. It's to give
honor unto the Lord, that the Lord was pleased in the person
of his blessed son to raise up a bride and to honor him and
respect him and thankful for him. But here's the wrath for failure
to do that. The ravens of the valley shall
pick it out. The young eagles shall eat it. I want you to turn with me as
I begin to wrap this up to Matthew 13. Matthew chapter 13, verses
one to four. Matthew 13, one to four. Same day went Jesus out of the
house and set by the seaside. Great multitudes were gathered
together unto him, so that he went into a ship and set. The whole multitude stood on
the shore, and he spake many things unto them in parables. Again, remember, let's not forget,
the Lord spoke to his people in parables. spoke to them in
Proverbs, because it was given unto them to understand the mysteries
of the kingdom of God. To others it was not given. But
he spoke to them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went
forth to sow. And when he sowed, some seeds
fell by the wayside, and fowls came and devoured them He gave
explanation for that. I'll not read the whole parable.
I'm gonna make this point out of it. Look at verses 18 and
19. And the Lord gave explanation
of what we just read. Hear ye then therefore the parable
of the sower. When any one heareth the word
of the kingdom and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked
one and catcheth away that which is sown in his heart This is
he which received the seed by the wayside. In this world, seed is being
sown. Seed is being sown and the seed
that's being sown is the preaching of the gospel. It's the seed
of the word of God. We preach the word of the Lord.
We preach the gospel of God's free grace. Some of the seed falls by the
wayside, and the fowls of the air come and pluck it. Now rest assured, no seed that
is sown by the Lord in regenerating grace is ever plucked away by
the fowl or the devil. It's a picture of the devil,
Satan himself, who comes and plucks the gospel. the truth
of it away. To all of God's sheep, they're
going to hear. They're going to receive it,
some 50, 60, 100 fold. But now, to those that hear it,
now, many people, I'll just use Katie for a moment, many people
have heard the truth of the gospel preached. Many have heard it. But if it is preached, the seed
is sown by the sower. The sower is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The seed is the Word of God. The seed is the Gospel. If it's
thrown and sown, and if it's plucked away, it is not plucked away by the
devil who steals God's Word away from God's elect. God's people
are going to hear. But if it is plucked away and
they don't hear, there'll be no profit made from it, from
the hearing of the gospel. There'll be wayside hearers. They'll hear it and they, it
came to nothing. But they're still responsible
for what they heard. And for hearing it and treating
it with disrespect and shunning it, Here's what's going to happen. The scripture refers back in
Proverbs chapter 30 verse 17. The ravens of the valley shall
pick it out. Young eagles shall eat it. The
fowls of the air will take it, take that which was sown. It'll
come to no profit, not against God's will, but according to
the Lord's goodwill and purpose to let men do that which they
will. The ways of the Lord are mysterious. The ways of the Lord
are sovereign. He doeth as he willed in the
army of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth. No man stays his
hand. We know that Satan cannot take
away that which the Lord sows in grace. Grace in the heart,
implanted in the heart by the power of God can never be taken
away. But as in the case of the graceless
hearer, just like the children left to themselves to mock God's
word. How many have come through this
congregation and heard the gospel preached? They've heard the same gospel
you did and mocked it. And they mocked it. About what? Not believing it. It's not that
necessary, they say. It's not for me. I make at a
more convenient time. At a time a little bit better.
Right now, it's not a good time for me. I got stuff to do, places
to go, people to see, things to do. An honorable God called father
is a picture, is a type of Christ Jesus the Lord. The mother of the father In our
passage, it's a picture of his bride. To mock them, to mock that picture,
to not show the respect that's due concerning this message right
here. This message in verse 17 of chapter
30, this is a gospel message right here. You say, well, I
thought that was just dealing with showing our mom and dad
some respect. We owe them respect, but we owe
the Lord respect to believe him. and to thank him for his mercy
and grace, to call us out of darkness. To mock them, to despise
them, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young
eagles shall eat it. Hearer, unless the Lord gives
a heart to hear, to hear the message. Again, I say, this is
not just good advice. This is the gospel. This is the
gospel of God's grace. No man, no woman, unless God
gives them ears to hear and eyes to see and a heart to believe,
will ever hear in power. But if one hears in power, I
tell you what he's going to do. He's going to see Christ in that
passage of scripture. He'll see the Lord Jesus Christ.
He'll see the love of God in the person of Christ. He'll see
Christ who gave himself for his church, who loved her, gave himself
for her. They'll hear when he says, husbands,
love your wife in the same respect, not in the same degree, I know
that, but we would long to. You love her as Christ loved
the church and gave himself for her. I pray God bless us to our
heart for Christ's sake.